The Story of Hook
by SLioniello
Summary: Ever wonder why Captain Hook is so desperate to get rid of Peter Pan? James and his brother Zack have been living on their own for years and their luck isn't changing. When Zack discovers the wonders of Neverland, he comes up with a plan to get him and his brother the happily ever after they've always wanted. Let me know what you think! :)


I wake up in the middle of the night, sweat dripping down my face. I hear my brother coming down the hall towards my room. I must have screamed. I'm breathing fast and hard. It must have been another nightmare. Ever since Mom and Dad left, I've been having them almost every night. My brother opens the door just enough to see that I'm sitting up in my bed. He sees the worry in my eyes and walks towards me.

He looks me up and down and smirks. "Hey mate, it looks like you just went for a swim." I try to force a smile, but I can't. Not after that nightmare. He sees this and his face grows serious. "Another nightmare?"

"Yes, the same one every night."

"Well lad, there's a place you can go to get away from your nightmares; from everything really. A place with no rules, no worries."

He looks so serious when he tells me his stories, but the problem is they're just that; stories. They never help stop the nightmares. They'll never bring Mom and Dad back. I play along anyways. "Neverland?"

He smiles and says, "That's right, Neverland. No grownups, no rules, no one to hold you back. Anything is possible there. All you have to do is believe and you can visit anytime in your dreams."

This time my smile comes naturally. My brother believes so strongly in these fairy tales, yet he is already twenty years old and working as a sailor for the harbour. I'm only twelve years old and I've lost all belief in these stories. How can anyone have a happy ending in a world with so much suffering? But I play along with my brother's stories as I always do. "Thank you James, I'll be okay now. Go get some sleep, you have to work in the morning."

He smirks at me and starts heading towards the door. He turns around as he's about to walk out and looks at me. "Don't worry Zack, everything will be okay." With that he closes my door and heads back to his room.

I shut off my lamp and close my eyes, but soon as I do images of the nightmares already start to work their way into my head. I try to think of everything my brother believes in. The stories. The happy endings. I desperately try to dream of the land where there are no worries. I _want_ to believe. I slowly start to shut my eyes and fall asleep.

I'm standing in a jungle, surrounding by kids my age playing games. Everyone is laughing and having fun, even I can't resist smiling. I start walking through the trees but everywhere I look I see the same thing; happiness. Where am I? I keep walking around the island until I realise there aren't any grownups. It finally starts to sink in._ I'm in Neverland._

I sit down on a log and try to remember how I got here, but I keep drawing a blank. The last thing I remember is my brother coming into my room and telling me a story. I snap out of my daze and notice a young boy around my age, dressed in an old green shirt and brown pants comes up to me. He sees me look up at him and smiles. He sits next to me and after a few minutes says, "Welcome to Neverland. I've never seen you around here before, you must be new. You look a little confused, is everything alright?"

"I was just trying to figure out how I got here."

The boy laughs. "Neverland isn't a place you _get to_. It's a place where kids like us can escape the real world and all of its misery. Anything is possible here as long as you believe it. It's an island where kids can do anything they want with almost no rules."

This sparks my curiosity. James said there were no rules in Neverland. What's the one rule my brother forgot to mention to me? I decide I can trust this boy. There's something about him that makes him so easy to trust. "Only one rule?"

"Yeah there is only one rule." He nods towards the boys playing a few feet in front of us. "You can only stay here while you sleep. Once you wake up, you're forced back into your world. That's why so many people love to sleep; they're subconsciously trying to find their way back to Neverland. The magic on the island keeps all of the adults out." He looks back towards me and says, "Only a few chosen kids get to stay in Neverland forever. They're called the Lost Boys. The magic of the island keeps them young forever."

I try to take all of this in. My brother was right. There really is a land where it's so easy to just be happy. I wish there was a way I could stay here. Stay happy. I watch the boys playing, so free and careless. I'm about to join them when I really understand what the boy had said. _Only a few chosen kids get to stay in Neverland forever._

I look back at the boy sitting next to me. He's still watching this kids play, the smile never leaving his face. I finally build up the courage to ask him, "How do kids get chosen to stay here?"

He stands up and looks at me, his hands planted on his hips. "The Lost Boys have a leader; they're the only ones who know who he is. Apparently he visits the kids at their houses in the night when they've been chosen. He doesn't ask or give you a choice; he just grabs you and takes you here. That's why they're the lost boys; their parents think they are missing." He starts walking towards the kids playing and waves me forward. "Enough talking, you can do that at home. This is Neverland! Let's have some fun."

I get up and join the boys. I notice a small dagger hanging at the boy's hip. _Why does he need a dagger in a land where there's only kids?_ Before we reach the boys I ask him one last question. "What's your name?"

He gives me a strange smirk as he says, "I'm Peter. Peter Pan."

I wake up and I'm back in my room. Disappointment washes over me as I realise I must return to my real life, a life filled with abandonment and work. A life where my brother and I barely make ends meet and we can do nothing about it. I just wish there was a way that I could be as happy as I was in Neverland. I wish there was a way I could enjoy life again.

As I start to get ready for the day I realise there is a way. _Only a few chosen kids get to stay in Neverland forever. _Peter told me it was possible for me to stay in Neverland forever, but only the leader of the Lost Boys chooses who stays. If I were chosen, I could try and get the leader to bring James to Neverland as well. After all, we've lost our parents. We are already Lost Boys.

I eagerly get out of bed and quickly get ready to help James on his ship. He is the captain of a fishing vessel. I usually just do the jobs no one else wants to do around the ship since I'm so young. If I can finish my work early enough I could probably be able to take a nap and return to Neverland. Finally I have some hope. If I can find out who the leader is, James and I can finally have our happy ending.

Weeks have gone by since my first night in Neverland and I have yet to find the Lost Boys' leader. James has started to worry over my sleeping habits now. Whenever I get the chance, I sleep for as long as possible. My visits to Neverland grow longer and more frequent every day. I have to find the leader.

Peter has told me to give up on this mission. He says the leader will pick me if I am worthy. I think he knows a lot more than he's telling me, but I still trust him. He has become my closest friend over these last weeks. James would like him.

As I get ready for bed James comes into my room and sits down next to me. I see the concern in his eyes, but I'm not sure what he is worried about. He looks at the floor as he says, "Zack, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine James. Don't worry about me anymore, the nightmares stopped a while ago." I can still see the concern in his eyes. It doesn't seem like he's worried about my excessive sleeping. Something else is bothering him.

"Oh that's good. Well I have some news." Now he looks directly at me and holds my gaze. "I've been given command of the Jolly Roger. It's an exploration ship. I'm its new captain. The job pays much better than what we've got now but I'd be at sea for a long time before coming back home."

"James, that is amazing news! We can finally leave this place and move to a better town!" I can't contain my excitement. We don't have to go to Neverland anymore! James was able to save us. A new town means a new life. Better pay means a better life. It's what we've always wanted.

James walks towards the window and stares at the stars. I can see him tense up. Why does he seem so sad? This is what we've wanted since our parents left. "Zack… _I _will be at sea for a long time. You can't come. That is why we are leaving town early tomorrow morning. They are expecting me to leave in the afternoon but I refuse to leave you here." I can see tears starting to roll down his face. His dream has always been to explore new lands, and now he must run away from his dream because of me. It's my fault. I'm standing in his way.

I feel a sudden anger building up inside me. The one time someone finally chooses not to abandon me yet it's at the cost of their happiness.

No.

I can't stand in the way of his happiness. I will run away tonight. I'll leave him a note telling him to take the job and that I will be fine. He will be sad, but he will get what he has always wanted.

I look up at him and say, "Okay James, I'll be ready in the morning." He nods and walks out of my room, unable to say anything else. I start packing my bags. I'm willing to give up everything I have for my brother, even if it means facing my greatest fear. I will be all alone.

As I'm about to leave I hear a rustle at my window. I move the curtains out of the way. Nothing. My mind must be playing tricks on me. I close the window and turn away, starting to head towards my door. As I'm about to walk out I hear it again. I look back at the window but there is nothing there. I notice the window is open again. _I could have sworn I closed it already._

As I'm closing it again, I hear a faint rustling sound coming from my bed. I quickly spin around and scream in surprise. Sitting on my bed is a boy around my age, wearing a green shirt and brown pants. "Peter? How did you get here?"

He smiles and says, "I flew of course. Come on Zack I thought you were smarter than that!"

I can hear James getting out of bed. He must think I'm having nightmares again. This ruins everything! I have to leave right now, before James gets here. "Peter I need to go, I'll be back in Neverland later tonight we can talk then."

I start making my way out the door when Peter says, "Sorry Zack, I can't let you do that. You've been chosen. You were willing to leave everyone behind to seek happiness, now I'm here to give it to you."

I spin around, shocked at this revelation. _Peter Pan is the leader of the Lost Boys?_ I can hear James coming down the hall. A smile makes its way across my face as I realise how perfect this is. "Peter, you must bring my brother too! You will love him, he's the one that told me all about Neverland! Hold on he will be here in a second, just you wait!"

Peter's face darkens. His trusting smile disappears and a frown takes its place. "Sorry Zack, it doesn't work like that. You've been chosen, time to go." Before I have a chance to say anything he lashes out and grabs me by the wrist. I scream at the top of my lungs for James as he bursts through the door.

"Who are you? Let my brother go!" James screams and makes threats, but Peter ignores him. He pulls me towards the window. Just as he is about to jump, James lunges forward and grabs my leg. "I won't let go of you Zack, don't worry!"

A dark smile creeps across Peter's face. "Oh really? Well then it seems like we have a problem. Luckily, I'm a fantastic problem solver!" Pan quickly pulls out the dagger from the belt at his waist and in one swift motion cuts off my brother's hand. He falls to the ground, thrashing in pain. Peter laughs and pulls me out the window.

My heart starts pounding as we jump. "Peter, are you mad?! We are going to die!" The ground quickly starts to approach us as we fall through the air. Peter laughs and makes a quick movement with his hand. As he does this, we start to slow down and float. Still holding on to me, he pushes up towards the sky and we start to fly, as if we were in Neverland.

I look back at my room and I see James bawling and screaming. I'm not sure if his hand is causing him the pain or the fact that I am being taken from him. I hear him yell, "I will find you Zack! I will come for you!" We fly to far away for me to make out anything else but I can still see him.

After a few moments we are high in the sky, too far to see anything below us. I look at Peter and he looks at me. His expression darkens and he flashes me that once trustworthy smile.

"Welcome to the Lost Boys Zack."


End file.
